Actor Casting in Beloved Franchises: The Thousand Pound Gorilla in the Room The announcing of casting for a beloved character in popular franchises, especially in those based on comic book properties, is a highly anticipated event. It’s damn near a spectator sport. Although, unlike going to something like a baseball game, watching the reactions to these casting announcements is more akin to watching the Christians being thrown to the lions. You never really know what kind of reaction you are going to get, and yet somehow the reactions seem to always…